Wild Dagga Flower | Leonotis Ocymifolia | Wildflower

Leonatis ocymifolia is a flowering shrub of the family Lamiaceae. It is a hairy shrub that can grow 1-2 meters high.

Minaret Flower

The stems of the Wild Dagga are in 4 angles. In the cross-section, these stems appear in squares. The Wild Dagga is woody and lanky.
The leaves of the Wild Dagga are narrow or broad and hairy. The leaves exist in pairs.
The leaves of the Wild Dagga are opposite and usually petiolate. The leaf margins are toothed.
The flowers of the Wild Dagga are tubular. They are in the inflorescence of dense, spiky golfball-sized heads. The flowers are separated into lips (parts); the small lower lip and the hooded upper lip.
Wild Dagga plant is drought-tolerant and wind-tolerant.

Where can Wild-Dagga be mostly spotted?

Africa

Interesting Facts about Wild Dagga

The Wild Dagga^[1] plants have medicinal value. They are used by different tribal groups for the treatment of aches and pains during the flu. In addition, research showed^[2] that the leaf and fruit extract of L. ocymifolia manifests antibacterial and anti-diarrhoeal properties.
The Wild Dagga plant is also known to help with epilepsy, Type 2 diabetes, constipation, and hemorrhoids.
The genus name Leonotis^[3] is from the Greek words “lion” and “otis“which means “lion” and “ear” respectively. This alludes to the form of the flower that resembles the lion’s ear.
The species name “ocymifolia ” means that the leaves of the Wild Dagga look like that of the basil plants.
The fresh or dried form of the ‘Wild Daggas leaves, smaller stems, and sometimes flowers and fruits are sold in the marketplace. These materials are used to apply infusion or decoction externally or taken internally. A study^[4] showed that the leaf extract of L. ocymifolia manifests analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties when experimented with rodent models.

Wild Dagga. Lions Tail

Suggested Reading: 8 Different Classifications of FlowersCite This Page

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BioExplorer.net. (2024, October 04). Wild Dagga. Bio Explorer. https://www.bioexplorer.net/plants/flowers/wild-dagga/.

BioExplorer.net. "Wild Dagga" Bio Explorer, 04 October 2024, https://www.bioexplorer.net/plants/flowers/wild-dagga/.

BioExplorer.net. "Wild Dagga" Bio Explorer, October 04 2024. https://www.bioexplorer.net/plants/flowers/wild-dagga/.

Key References

^[1] – “Wild Dagga – Flowers – South Africa”. Accessed April 18, 2023. Link.
^[2] – “Anti-diarrhoeal and antibacterial activities of L. ocymifoli | JEP”. Accessed April 18, 2023. Link.
^[3] – “Leonotis ocymifolia | PlantZAfrica”. Accessed April 18, 2023. Link.
^[4] – “Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of 80% Methanol Extract of Leonotis ocymifolia (Burm.f.) Iwarsson Leaves in Rodent Models”. Accessed April 18, 2023. Link.

Wild Dagga